Feedlot Performance, Carcass Composition and Muscle and Fat Conjugated Linoleic Acid Concentrations of Lambs Fed Diets Supplemented with High Linoleic Safflower

J.W. Bergman, C. Flynn, R.W. Kott, P.G. Hatfield, H. Van Wagoner, and J.A. Boles

 Abstract

The nature of the lipids found in meats can be influenced by the finishing rations used in livestock production.  The effects on lamb back fat and loin muscle resulting from the supplementation of feeding rations with Morlin high linoleic safflower seed were investigated. Fifty weather lambs were randomly assigned to one of two different feeding treatments (5 pens per treatment). Both the control diet (CD) and the safflower supplemented diet (SSD) were 80 % concentrate and 20 % pelleted alfalfa, formulated to be isochloric and isonitrogenous. The SSD had an additional 6 % fat supplied by the safflower seed.  Following a 48 day feeding period 2 lambs from each of the ten pens were slaughtered.  After a 5 day chilling period the carcasses were evaluated for yield and quality factors.  The back fat and the loin muscle were evaluated for fatty acid profile and for the quantity of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) present.  The average daily gain and the feeding efficiency of the SSD lambs were better than that of the CD lambs (0.29 vs. 0.25 kg/day) and  (6.77 vs.7.95 kg feed/kg gain) respectively.  The back fat thickness of the SSD lambs was greater than that of the CD (4.03 vs.3.03 mm).  The cis-9, trans-11 CLA level of the fat extracted from the loin muscle was more than twice as high in the SSD lambs as that in the CD lambs (8491 vs. 3955 ppm).

 Key words:  High Linoleic Safflower, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Lamb Feeding, Meat Quality, Carthamus tinctorius L